Australia’s woeful 2018 campaign has hit a new low with Wales inflicting their first win over the Wallabies in 10 years

In a dour match, Dan Biggar’s late penalty goal was enough to secure a 9-6 victory in a try-less encounter at the Principality Stadium.

The British and Irish Lions representative sealed the win with a close-range kick two minutes from time to send the 64,000-strong home crowd into delirium in the Welsh capital.

The defeat means Australia have won just three of their last 13 games less than a year before the start of the World Cup in Japan.

The two sides will meet again in Tokyo next October and organisers will be hopeful of a better spectacle, with defences very much on top in a match that lacked spark and creativity.

The Wallabies just about edged a tight opening period but the scores were level at 3-3 at the break with Leigh Halfpenny and Bernard Foley exchanging penalties.

Samu Kerevi spurned a glorious opportunity in the fourth minute to open the scoring when he spilled the ball under pressure from Gareth Anscome following a sweeping move involving Will Genia, Kurtley Beale and Michael Hooper.

Although the Wallabies had more of the ball than the hosts, they struggled in the scrum in the first half with New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe penalising Scott Sio twice for pulling down Wales prop Ken Owens.

One of those led to the usually reliable Halfpenny then missing a relatively easy kick just right of the posts from 30 metres out.

The fullback did open the scoring on 21 minutes before shanking his third effort from in front of the sticks on the stroke of halftime.

The Wallabies started well after the interval with back to back penalties putting them in great field position deep inside the Welsh half.

But after winning the line-out, the swarming Welsh defence forced the ball loose from Allan Alaalatoa in the maul and the chance was lost.

Foley again opted against kicking for three points from in front of the posts but hooker Tolu Latu, who had been on the money with 10 of his previous 11 throws, lost his second at the worst possible time as the Welsh line-out turned over the ball to thwart the attack.

A Halfpenny penalty 12 minutes from time edged the hosts back in front but a clutch penalty from the right touchline from Matt Toomua four minutes from time levelled the scores once more.

But almost immediately the home side surged deep into the Wallabies half and when the tourists were penalised for not rolling away in the maul, Halfpenny kept his nerve to win the match.

-AAP